About William VanderGraaf

Retired Winnipeg Police Officer

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

"I have battled organized crime in the Province of Manitoba and I continue to do so with Law Enforcement Against Prohibition."

William (Bill) VanderGraaf is a retired 29-year veteran of the Winnipeg Police Service who spent the majority of his career as a detective in the robbery/homicide division. He retired after five years as the staff sergeant in charge of the homicide, major crime and street gang units. His career took him to cities all over Canada. He also pursued organized gang members to Australia on homicide investigations and conducted hundreds of death scene investigations. He was a hostage negotiator and the witness protection coordinator for the police and justice departments.

Bill believes that the War on Drugs has simply continued to fail us over the past 40 years and that there is a better way to deal with organized crime. He cleaned up the consequences of the failed policy called prohibition and worked with many drug users and addicts. He dealt with far too many overdose deaths in his career, many dying because prohibition dissuaded people calling for help for dying friends. These were often friends who died from dangerous tainted drugs provided by organized crime and who would be alive today if drugs were regulated. Bill believes that legalization, control and regulation of drugs is the only way to stop the violence and overdose deaths.

“I have battled organized crime in the Province of Manitoba and I continue to do so with Law Enforcement Against Prohibition,” Bill says. “I believe that governments who tell police officers to risk their lives to stop citizens from using drugs are redundant and make society dangerous for us all.”

Bill was educated at the Canadian Police College in Ottawa in the areas of major crime investigative techniques, criminal intelligence and hostage negotiation.